


Swimmingly

by starksnack



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Afghanistan, Aquaphobia, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Married Life, POV Tony Stark, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Steve Rogers, Swimming Pools, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 21:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16291991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starksnack/pseuds/starksnack
Summary: Steve wants to teach Peter how to swim and Tony is okay with it until he isn't.Just some superfamily fluff and h/c





	Swimmingly

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it's been forever since I last posted. I've been struggling with college apps and senior year is kicking my ass.
> 
> Special thanks to my betas Kath (@re.avengers on Instagram) and Rae (@to.nystank on Insta) for all the commas. This was a mess before they came and helped me get my shit together.
> 
> This is spoiler free for everything because my ass is still stuck in 2012.

Steve wanted to teach Peter how to swim. Tony never wanted to see his precious baby boy surrounded by the frigid blue of the water but Steve convinced him that their son needed to learn because swimming is a ‘survival skill’. Tony acquiesced and agreed on the single condition that Steve would be the one teaching him. So here he was at the pool, up on a sunny Saturday morning watching his son in floaties splashing around in the clear water. It was the ass crack of dawn and Tony wouldn’t have even been up if not for Steve’s very motivating mouth.

Tony was sitting on the edge of the pool in his Captain America swim shorts. His feet were dangling into the warm water, he had the pool heated to combat Steve’s aversion to the cold, as he slowly kicked his legs. It wasn’t that bad to be totally honest, Steve had coaxed him into the bathtub for relaxing bubble baths and tub sex a couple of months ago so if Tony closed his eyes he could almost pretend he was in his enormous bathroom at home with Steve’s encompassing warmth pressed against his back.

“Dada!” Peter yelled from where he was doing a back float with Steve. “Look at what Papa taught me!” And then Peter was drawing his hands together above his head and kicking in a back glide that made Tony’s heart race.

Sure, Steve had a hand supporting Peter’s neck with the other supporting his back and he trusted his husband with his life, but he still worried as they got closer and closer to the deep end. He didn’t doubt Steve’s physical fitness, he passed the Shield physical tests every quarter with ease including the swimming portion that Tony was always conveniently absent for. He just doubted the water wouldn’t end up suffocating his kid.

“Wow, That’s great, Pete,” Tony called back, tilting his head to look at the ceiling and trying to slow his accelerated breathing. He was slowly counting each white rectangle, down and then across multiplying the numbers in his head. He lost himself in the easy calculations and a countdown from a thousand started in the background of his mind.

“Tony,” Steve’s voice drew his attention and he opened his eyes to look at the blond in front of him. His heart rate suddenly picked up as he searched the water for Peter. He let out a relieved sigh when he spotted his son in a giant yellow inflatable duck splashing around happily. Tony felt Steve’s thighs brush against his toes and he turned back to his husband. “My hands are wet, and I’m going to touch you now, okay?” Tony nodded his consent and Steve’s warm hands were cupping his face in the next second, his lips gently pressing a firm, grounding kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Doll,” Tony felt the delicate words brushed against his lower lip, “are you alright?”

Tony squeezed his eyes shut before shaking his head slowly. He wanted so very badly to share this normal family bonding moment with the both of them. He wanted so desperately to push aside the phantom trickle of water down his spine so he could teach his perfect son how to swim. He wanted to race Steve across the pool and kiss his husband sweetly at the other end when he inevitably finished first. He wanted to splash his son, use his scientific mind to teach him how to make the biggest waves possible. Most of all, he wanted to take advantage of Steve’s impressive lung capacity and indulge in lazy pool sex, damnit.

“Papa,” Peter’s tiny voice interrupted Tony’s train of thought, “is dada okay?” His son paddled closer, the squeaky plastic of the duck bumping Tony’s knees.

“No baby,” Steve murmured back pressing their foreheads together as he gently nipped at Tony’s lips again, his thumb carefully brushing through the hairs of Tony’s goatee on his chin, “maybe he your dad just needs some more special kisses from you.”

Steve picked Peter out of the inflatable duck holding him up to Tony. Peter carefully smooched a kiss on Tony’s cheek before affectionately patting him on the shoulder. “Feel better dada.”

“Thank you baby,” Tony took Peter from Steve, hugging the wet child close to him and pressing a kiss to his dripping hair. “I feel so much better already.”

“Wanna come play with me and Papa?” Peter cocked his head to the side pointing at his inflatable duck and the sea of water toys Tony had guiltily bought him.

“Why don’t you give your dad a moment to decide okay, Pete?” Tony watched as Steve strapped their son back into his duck so he could kick around the pool. In moments he was back cupping Tony’s face and skating a wet finger across his lips. “Do you want to come in to the water with me? I promise I won’t let your head get wet.”

Tony nodded gently , gripping Steve’s shoulders as he slid off the wall and into the warm water. Here, in the shallow end it only reached his waist but he could still feel the tight clench of fear balling in his chest where the arc reactor used to be. Tony allowed Steve’s careful hands to wind around his waist grounding him in the present as they slowly moved into deeper water. It wasn’t long before he had his legs wrapped around his husband’s Disney princess waist.

“Hey, Dada,” Peter excitedly tapped his wrist to grab his attention. “Sometimes when I get scared I like to hold Papa’s hand and then I’m not so scared anymore. Do you wanna hold my hand so you won’t be scared?”

“Thanks Pete,” Tony grabbed on to his son’s offered hand , taking care not to squeeze his small fingers too tightly. Peter’s tiny chubby legs kicked in the water so he could keep pace with Steve who was slowly walking backwards into deeper water.

“If you need to stop let me know okay?” Steve ran a soothing hand down his back his blue eyes boring into Tony’s. “I know you trust me Tony, and if you want to do this, then I will be with you every step of the way. But I don’t want you to hurt yourself okay? You can tell me to stop any time.”

Tony nodded vigorously allowing himself to melt into Steve’s arms so the blond was dragging him through the water. He did trust Steve, he knew his husband would always take care of him, no matter what. He trusted that Steve would always make sure they both made it home safe and sound at the end of each and every day.

Before he knew it they were in the deep end with Steve diligently treading water to keep both of their heads dry. Water lapped at his chest where the edge of his arc reactor used to be. When he had it, it wasn’t like the car battery, he didn’t need to hold it above his head to keep it from getting wet as he was continuously pushed under-

“Steve-” Tony choked, the feeling of water trickling from his hairline was back as Tony struggled to catch his breath.

With two powerful kicks Steve had them at the pool’s edge and he was pushing Tony out of the water before following suit. Tony shivered feeling Steve pick him up and carry him back toward the shallow end where they had left their stuff.

Tony was quiet as Steve dried them both off, a delicate furrow to his brows.

“Doll-” Steve began only to be cut off by Tony speaking.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered watching as Peter got out of the pool walking toward them with the duck still strapped around his waist. He closed his eyes. “I really want to swim with both of you.”

“No, don’t be sorry Tony,” Steve ran a hand down his face and across his lips. Tony couldn’t help but notice that his fingertips were kinda pruney. “I’m so incredibly proud of how brave you were just now.” Tony’s eyes fluttered open as Steve grabbed his hand kissing his fingertips. “I love you, doll.”

Peter finally made it to the two of them and Steve made quick work of the duck to free their son’s legs. Peter wiped his hands on a towel, Steve had gently explained to him about Tony’s PTSD before they had gotten in the pool, and took Tony’s hand. “Papa says it’s okay to be scared dada.”

Tony laughed feeling tears well up in his eyes as he pressed a kiss to his son’s hair. “Your papa is a very smart man.” Tony’s eyes connected with Steve’s over Peter’s head.

“I know.” Peter exclaimed delightedly as Steve carefully towelled him off. He was beaming up at him like he had hung the moon and Tony knew he would do absolutely anything to keep that smile on his son’s face.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! I appreciate every single one of you.  
> Drop me a comment and let me know what I can do better, what you want to see, and how I can improve.  
> I take requests so come yell at me on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/starksnack/), [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/starksnack/), or [Tumblr](https://starksnack.tumblr.com/) at @starksnack


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